Defending Her Life
by anotherweasley
Summary: Jack testifies at the sentencing hearing of Claire's killer.


Defending Her Life  
By:Olivia  
  
"I'm so alone and I feel just like somebody else/Man, I ain't changed but I know I ain't the  
same/But somewhere here in between the city walls of dyin' dreams/I think her death that must  
be killin' me."-The Wallflowers-"One Headlight"  
  
"Round here she's always on my mind/Round here I've got lots of time."-Counting Crows-  
"Round Here"  
  
"You'll be the one/That defends my life when I'm dead asleep dreaming/Cupid don't draw back  
your bow...I could be your next best friend/You may need someone to hold you...I'm in your  
movie and everyone looks sad/I can hear you."-The Wallflowers-"Sleepwalker"  
  
  
  
"They're ready for you now, Mr. McCoy."  
  
Jack nodded. He got up from the bench he was sitting on and followed the clerk into the  
courtroom. His eyes immediately sought the defendant. The defendant did not look at Jack. Jack  
kept on walking until he reached the witness chair and sat down. It was an odd feeling for him to  
have this view of the courtroom. This role made him uncomfortable. He wasn't use to sitting  
here, but this was where he needed to be today.  
  
"Mr. McCoy, you have requested to testify on behalf of the victim at this defendants sentencing  
hearing. Please proceed," said the Judge.  
  
Jack shakily removed a picture from his pocket. He held it out for the Judge to view and then for  
the defendant. Jack wanted to the defendant to see the person whose life he had taken by getting  
behind the wheel drunk that night. The defendant could barely look at McCoy much less the  
picture in his hands. The defendant was edgy, nervous, obviously pained by this proceeding.   
Good, Jack thought. He wanted him to hurt as badly as he did.  
  
"This is Claire Kincaid. I am here today to speak on her behalf, since she obviously is not here  
to be able to do so herself. My first reaction when I look at the defendant, is how can he be  
breathing. I cannot comprehend how he can be here alive when Claire is dead. He was the one  
who had been drinking and she is the one who has paid the consequences for his actions."  
  
McCoy paused. He was having difficulty breathing.  
  
"Claire was more than just my Assistant District Attorney, she was my friend. Over the past two  
years working with her, I had grown to love and respect her."  
  
Jack's voice started to quiver. If only they knew how close the two of them had been. But there  
was no way he would let Claire's reputation suffer for having an affair with him. Why should he  
bother trying to explain what others would not understand?  
  
"I could sit here today and tell you all about what a great lawyer Claire was becoming and what a  
great lawyer she already was. But that's not the main impression I would want someone who  
didn't know Claire to walk away with. When I think of Claire, I think of the person behind the  
job, the person that made her great at her job. She loved being a lawyer and she cared. She  
cared about the victims she represented. She cared about protecting people from predators. She  
took her job seriously and gave it everything she had because she believed in life. Claire  
believed that if each person did their part, good would triumph. She was an idealist, God bless  
her, and the world needs people like that. And it is the cruel irony of these proceedings that  
Claire spent her life protecting people and yet in the end, she is the victim."  
  
Jack could feel tears starting to well in his eyes threatening to spill over.  
  
"Claire believed in the sacredness of life, that killing was wrong. Period. And the defendant,"  
Jack could not bring himself to say his name, "took her life away. He killed her. His intentions  
are pointless, because he knew the consequences of getting behind the wheel of an automobile  
while intoxicated. He knew the dangers and he proceeded recklessly and dangerously. He walks  
away with his life, while my...."  
  
McCoy tried to reign in his anger. He was two seconds away from shouting. That wouldn't help  
Jack get justice for Claire. It wouldn't help Jack protect future victims from the defendant.  
  
"I just request that the court remember Claire Kincaid, who was a living, breathing, beautiful  
person until a few weeks ago. She was a light in a sea of darkness and as surely as I know this  
light has passed out of my life, the world, unknowingly, has lost that light as well."  
  
Jack gently put Claire's picture back into his pocket.  
  
"Thank you," said the Judge solemnly.  
  
Jack got down from the witness stand and started to walk down the aisle out of the courtroom.   
He took one last look at the defendant. He was satisfied that some of what he had spoken at  
gotten through to him. McCoy wanted to forgive him. Perhaps that's what Claire would have  
wanted. Perhaps this was part of some scheme that God had and humans had no control over.   
But Jack thought the only way he would be able to forgive this man would be if the defendant  
could somehow reverse time and bring Claire back alive to him. But as that was impossible, so  
too was Jack's forgiveness. 


End file.
